The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1887-07-08
The Egis &Intelligencer
Bel Air, MI. July $, 1857.
DEER CREEK FARMERS CLUE.
The Protection OF Birds.

The regular meeting of the Deer Creek Farm
ers Club was held last Saturday, At the residence
was called to the chair: Mr.. James ". Hanna,
Secretary.
A committee Of inspection, consisting of +. W.
Baker. VIM Munnikhuyscn and James Lee was
appointed who reported saying that Mr.. Silver
farm is in good condition and is worked in a sys-
tenatic, tarmer-likc way. lie has 20 acres in
wheat, which will yield from - to 2j bushels per
acre also 10 acres in sugar corn which is large,
the differences in two fields, on one OF which
the sugar corn had been planted on sod, and the
other on stubble. The latter Is decidedly the
better. He has good he!d of cats, \ quantity Of
husks had been spread around the cam Ug-house,
last year. These were hauled away last spring
and the ground seraped clean. Oats was then
drilled IN, without any o'hGr preparation. and a
very promising crop is the result. Mr., Silver's
clttlc, which were winterod On fodder alone, are
10 fair condition and thrifty. One of them,
home-raiscd steer, Is the best of the lot. The
view from Mr.. Siyor's house is extremely beau
tiful. taking in a large part Of lower Deer Creek
Valley, Darlington being seen In the distance
The subject announced for discussion was the
preservation ofinsectiverous birds and the boun-
~ on hawk heads.
Geo. &. Silver spoke Of the injury to crops by
insects and said that If We could protect the birds
we might save our crops. Some birds, the Eng
lish sparrow, for instance, are njlrous TO crops
and those we ought to get rid of. The black
birds had pulled up great dea! OF his last plant
ing OF sugar corn. lie thought this might be
avoided by scattering corn for them in the rows
Hawks are an expense to the county and destruc-
tive to poultry yards, but they said to destroy
feed on little poultry. The complaint Of raw
ages by insects this year is widespread aud no
protection of birds.
VIM. Munnikhuys.n said that al! the birds we
had previous TO the introduction of the English
sparrows, lived on insects. These sparrows do
not and drive the other birds away. He had shot
the English sparrows and driven them away
from his place and now the common sparrows
pcwits, &C., have returned and built their nests
lie was opposed to payInR'a bounty for hawk
heads, for the kind mostly killed do no harm.
a. 81 a rfa for If,,sr
sparrow-kawks which feed almost exclusively
on mice and other vormin. ANY body would kill
a chicken hawk, which is the destructive kind,
oven II no bounty were offered for IT,
X John Rogers was opposed to killing any
pugnacous little fellows, fighting ali other birds,
they get into granarlts and eat great quantity
OF grain. A man is, justified in Killing hawk
which is attacking his poultry but the county
should not pay him half II dollar for doing IT,
Hawks destroy great many mice, and since the
field mice have multiplied greatly and he had
never before seen so much grass destroyed by
them.
bounty on hawk heads. If they come to your
chicken roosts take gun and shoot them. In
deed h. was opposed to killing Sird2 Of any kind
pull up little corn but they also pick up great
many insects. They had followed him, this spring
while he was working corn and gathered Up
James Lee thought it would be better to repeal
the bounty on hawks and put 1t on English spar
rows. In some places one cent apiece is paid for
them. not less than % being received at time.
The county Is paying out now about $500 year
sparrows at cent apiece.
Benjamin Silver, Jr., was opposed to wagng
war on birds, except for useful purposes. An
birds do us good. hawk may steal a chicken
or two, occasionally, but at other tint he is kill
ing something else that might be injurious.
Johns II. Janney said English sparrows had
been killed by the hundreds and opened and no
insects have ever been found in them. They are
a great pest. They eat the grapes and strawber-
hiris L. Nyn, nod 20,
the bounty on hawks. ] confined to the hen hawk
1t might not DO so Objectionable. We are not
friends. When Engllsh sparrows were first
brought to this country they were protected by
law; now in New York fine is imposed upon
any one who feeds them even q crumb OF bread.
John Moores said he was down on chicken
hawks, and IL would be benefit If they could be
exterminated. He had lost from 80 to 100 chick.
ems and turkeys in a year from hawks They also
eat the young birds, which do US great deal of
good. The chicken hawk does not take the trou-
Bile to catch mice, but might take n rabbit occa-
sionaly. He was in favor of reducing the bounty
TO - cents. Partridges are one OF the most use
by law for few years, Besides being insectiv-
crous they afford fine sport in hunting Many
years ago the little sparrow hawk was plentiful.
1t was an industrious mice-hunter and destroyed
no chickens. Now 1t is scarce. He believed
skunks, woasels, minks and foxes do more than
hawks to destroy field mice. He was disposed to
protect the fox, which Is friend to the farmer
II. Spalding thought all birds except chicken
hawks and English sparrows should be protected.
The latter are nuisance
Dennis Spalding was In favor of modifying the
haw law SO as TO offer bounty only on such
hawks as arc destructive to poultry English
sparrows are pests. a good way to destroy them
is to put out poisoned food in the winter, when
other birds are not about.
Geo Fl. Gorrell thought blackbirds aud English
sparrows do more damage than hawks. There
ought to be small bounty on them to encourage
their destruction. He thought there ought 10 he
bounty of dollar a head on foxes.
H. Harris Archer said In his opinion there Is an
eguliiGrun IN nature which can not be destroy
ton. If we kill all the foxes we destroy this
equilibrium and have something worsc-mOre
rats and mice, sc.
Among others present were Messrs. Vim. II. |
Bayless, Turnbull Murdoch and Harry Hughes of
Baltimore, and s. Matthews Lee
The next meeting of the club will be on July
.Oth at MI. Johns II. Janney's. The question to
be then discussed is: Our Road System how
can 1t be improved 2"